Made by e

Here are some things that I can display. (My quiet book pages are done but they're to remain a surprise.)

Here are the completed Scrabble tile pendants. I've been wearing one every day since they've been done. See the tutorial here.

And here are these funny pie magnets. I think they're perfect for a fridge, and they crack me up every time I look at them. The tutorial is here.

Reusable sandwich wraps. Emily and I got to sew together (!) which never happens. So fun.

Consider the Disputes Settled

I will now disclose the results of our marital disputes.

1) Initially I shared Daniel's sentiment: that when I was that sweaty and nasty, deodorant was completely pointless. However, Chuck did ask nicely so I put it on. And wow, was I pleasantly surprised! I could no longer smell me! I was shocked. Now, that doesn't mean I felt fresh as a flower, but I at least felt presentable. Using a diaper wipe or the water splash would have been excellent solutions as well. The deodorant couldn't help the salt lick created on my forehead, however. But no one knew that but me.

2) The banner. When you live in Utah, displays of patriotism last until nearly August because of Pioneer Day (that being a much, much bigger holiday than July 4th, of course). So for me, the banner being up in mid-July was not at all offputting. But for Chuck, a person for whom July 24th means very little, it was a little surprising. While I can see his argument (which really wasn't an argument, it was more like, "How long is that going to stay up?" followed by an "Okay."), I'm going to go with Jessica. She and Amanda can be my east coast supporters of this. I just wish I had an answer for her about when to start your patriotic decorating.

3) The pants. Oh the pants. Really? Really? I had no idea I was the only one that preferred pants B to pants A. I guess I'll have to learn to let this go knowing that I'm the only one cringing inside.

Thanks for restoring the bliss to our happy home.

Settle a Few Marital Disputes

These disagreements have come up recently in our home. Please settle the score.

1) I get back from a six-mile run and am sweaty and stinky. But as I have to get to the church almost immediately to help clean it and therefore have no time to shower (plus, I'll want to shower when I'm done cleaning), will deodorant help me or is it pointless?

2) Everyone knows that Christmas lights should be taken down by January 7th, or earlier. But what about this banner? Give me the drop-dead date for its showing.

3) Which pant color is better for a man, (a) or (b)?

Math in the Real World

A boy once broke up with me using a graph, so why can't I do the same to explain how it's been being Rhett's mom?

Up until recently, it seemed that every single day I spent mothering Rhett, being his mom became easier and easier. Not only was he becoming easier (sleeping through nights, sitting, walking, etc.) but I was getting better. In no time was I cruising out of the house in less than five minutes compared to the 40 minutes it took when Rhett was a newborn. I loved it.

But these days, it seems like we're reversing that trend (see Figure 1). And it's all because of a little thing called "communication." While he's understanding so much of what we say (bath, go, doggie, snack,...) we are understanding nothing of what he says, with the exception of "bubble," "mama," "dogdog," and a few other words. And it's hard. Especially because at this age of nearly 16 months, he wants things. I just don't know what these things are. To him, everything edible is "num num." Well what the %&*! is this elusive "num num" if it's not milk, animal crackers, a banana, or one of the multitude of other things we offer him? And while we're talking about it, where did he get this word "num num" anyway? It's not like Chuck and I when discussing what to have for dinner say, "How about a nice plate of hot num num?" Because we don't. Kids!

Anyway, let's just hope this graph starts taking an upward trend...and soon.

Do You Think He Wants a Cookie? I Can't Tell

And yes, they are that good.

Made by e--Baby and Bruno Items

These little taggie baby crinkles, as inspired by this.



A set of pillowcases in "dog-themed-yet-completely-tacky" fabric. I'm pretty good at changing my own bed linens, but now am inspired to do better for the pug.



Some ties for a one-year-old. I gave two as baby shower gifts and have the other two. Maybe they're destined for the Etsy shop, or future baby shower gifts. We'll see.

Mr. Mom and Ms. Dad, Week 3 (kinda)

Last week was only a half week, but as of today, we have completed 10 of the 30 days.

He said: This week was much harder than the previous couple. Rhett was sick all week long and due to that he didn't want to eat, play, or do anything at all. I mentioned before that staying at home gets to be a bit boring. With a sick baby that wasn't the case. Even though he didn't want to do anything, I wasn't bored. Instead I was just constantly worried. He slept quite a bit and I had a good amount of time to think and worry about him. That was not easy to say the least. It was also hard because when he would wake up he would call out "momma, momma" over and over. It was hard for hime to not be with his mom, and that is hard for me to watch. That being said, It only confirms to me how much I love him. I have not had to worry about anything as much as I did my little boy last week. I have not felt as relieved as I did when his temperature stayed down for an entire day without medicine. I am looking forward to spending more time with him when he is not sick. I can't wait to read him the same book over and over so long as it means he isn't feeling miserable.

She said: This week was hard. Little Rhett was sick nearly the entire week, fighting off incredibly high (one reached 104.5!) fevers that left him whiny and too hot to be cuddled. He didn't want to eat or drink; thankfully, he slept well. I struggled because I didn't want to leave this sick boy. I wanted to be there holding him and comforting him and dealing with how hard it is to hold and comfort a sick baby. I didn't want Chuck to have to do that. I felt guilty leaving Chuck with a sick wee one because I know how hard it is.

I'm also finding that I don't feel that I'm that helpful to Chuck once I get home from work. In my part-time days, I would get home at 6 p.m., just enough time to feed Chuck and me (a dinner Chuck prepares, mind you), get the baby bathed (which Chuck always does), clean the kitchen, and put the baby to bed. Then it's beautiful "me" time. I really don't have to parent on those days at all. So now that I'm working four days a week, I find it's hard to get into a parenting routine when I come home from work. I know this is unfair because Chuck's been doing it all day. Why should he have to continue working so hard while I check Facebook? It's just a habit I need to try to break.

I'm starting to get nervous about returning to part-time because when I am with Rhett, I feel like I don't know how to keep him busy. I feel like I've lost all ability to entertain my child, because I'm out-of-practice. That's hard. And even harder is feeling like I don't like entertaining my child. I nearly cried reading this post today because I feel a lot of the similarities to the writer, especially the one of feeling like I'm not only alone in feeling this way, but am a horrible person for doing so. Dang! It's hard to be a mom!

Let's Play Jeopardy!

I am going to give you some answers, and in true Jeopardy-fashion, you'll test your knowledge in getting the correct questions. Won't it be fun?!

Answer #1: 14 1/2 months

Question #1: What is how old Rhett was when people started asking when we were having another baby? Correct! And since then (about one month ago) people can't stop asking. What I secretly want to tell them when they ask is, "Well, about nine months from last night! Hubba hubba!" But that might make people too uncomfortable; probably about as uncomfortable as people are when they're asked when the next baby is coming.

Answer #2: Not at all successful.

Question #2: What is how successful were Chuck and I at getting Rhett to try his first ice cream cone from McDs? Correct! Honestly, could this even be my child? Turning down a McDonald's ice cream cone? I'm having serious doubts.

Answer #3: Raccoon.

Question #3: What is the animal I most resemble now? Correct! I admit that 90% of the time I'm outside, I'm wearing sunglasses; but 98% of that time, they're on top of my head. So where did these crazy raccoon eyes come from?! (By the way, I just realized I totally have my mom's eyes. WEirD!)


Answer #4: About 102 degrees.

Question #4: What is the average temperature of my sick little boy since Sunday? Sadly, correct. Poor baby. Poorer Chuck.

How'd you do?

One Last Call for Quiet Book Swap

I'm sending an email to those of you who expressed interest in participating in the Quiet Book Swap. Please let me know if you didn't get it. Also, if you'd like to join us, let me know by TODAY (Monday, July 6, 2009).

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July everyone!



And yes, I made that happy banner. You can too; it's simply cut up bandanas and pre-made binding. Easy peasy. It cost less than $7.

P.S. Don't worry; quiet book swap is totally on. But given the holiday weekend, I think I'll wait until Monday to post details. If you'd still like to sign up, please do so by then. I'm soooo excited!

Sticking It to the Man

Chuck and I got a new cell phone recently and we earned a $50 rebate on this phone. When this rebate, unlike other rebates we've received from Verizon, came in the form of a Visa card, I was furious. To me, they did this because they figure that people won't spend the exact $50 and so they won't be out the entire amount. Because you know, if only 100 people use only $49 of their cards, well, PRESTO! Verizon has made a cool $100. And we know there are far more than 100 people getting Verizon cards. And we know there are far more of them not using the cards to their fullest.

So when I got our card, I swore on my dead pug Thor that I would use every last penny. And I did. Up until yesterday I had $0.61 and I've just been biding my time until I could find a way to use it. Turns out the post office sells a $0.61 stamp. And I am now the proud owner of one. Take that, Verizon!

An Important (and CRAZY fun) Announcement!

I'd like to make a quiet activity book for Rhett for Christmas (it's only six months away people!). But the thought of doing everything by myself is quite daunting. Then it hit me (things often do and most of the time Chuck isn't throwing them). Why not do a quiet book swap?

This is how I see it happening. People comment on this post and tell me they'd like to participate (emily, you're already in, so deal with it). I'll send the basic felt for the pages to each swap participant so that each book is uniform in size and basic material. The participants will design one page; I'll assign which "activity" should be highlighted on their page. Then, participants will make up to 10, or however many people want to participate, of their page using their own fabric and embellishments. At the pre-determined end of the swap, the participants send me their 10 pages, I'll put the books together, and then I'll mail them out to everyone! Voila!

Some ideas I came up with for the "activities" are:
Lacing
Buttons
Braiding
Tieing
Buckling
Zipping
Telling time
Writing a note
Snapping
Pockets

I know some of you will be concerned with your ability to complete such a project. I think that this won't be that hard and, really, there is no expectation for greatness. It's just a great idea (humble, ain't I?) to be able to share something handmade with a special little person. Addendum: After reading Meg's comment, I concur with her about this definitely being a sewing project. Not only am I concerned about the life of these sweet books, but I am certainly concerned about pieces coming unattached and becoming choking hazards. If you don't have a sewing machine, either find someone who does, commit to hand sew these objects, or wait for another fun swap. Hope that's not too harsh. :)

So what do you think? Would anyone be interested? If so, do you have any other "activities" you'd like to see or not like to see? Would those interested still be interested if I asked for money (probably around $10) to reimburse me for the cost of the felt and mailings? What is the largest number of pages you'd be willing to make? How long do you think would be an appropriate time for you to make your pages?

Of course there are some details to be worked out, but I think it could work. It has to work! Think about how fun for your favorite little one to have something made by so many lovely hands from all over the country. SO FUN. And $10 for a handmade quiet book? Not possible anywhere else. If you have friends that you think would be interested, please send them a link to this post. I'll make a decision by the end of the week.

If you want to see some examples of books and book pages, look here, here, here, or here. The internet has tons of different images and books for you to copy.

And P.S., don't forget to read our Saturday post about last week's return to full-time work for me. That's right: our post; I got Chuck to post his thoughts about being Mr. Mom.

Mr. Mom and Ms. Dad, Week 1

He said: Well, one week down, I'm not too sure how many more weeks to go. I have to say that I love that little boy. I was asked by a friend if staying at home is harder than going to work. The answer to that is yes, it is harder to stay at home. I like my job, the day goes by quickly. I love teaching...etc. That doesn't mean that I don't love my son or staying at home with him. I do love that. It isn't that staying at home is demanding labor; it isn't. That is perhaps what makes it hard. I feel as though I am not doing anything. I don't know how many times I can read The Very Lonely Firefly. The hardest part so far is seeing e not happy leaving and being away.

At the same time, I love the idea of being at home over the summer. It gives me a chance to get to know my son. I can only imagine how valuable summers can be to the relationship that I have with him. We'll see how the next few weeks go, but for me so far, I have been able to handle it to a certain extent and I have even enjoyed most of it.

She said: This week was much harder than expected. A lot of that has to do with Monday's Metro accident which snarled my commuting pattern for the rest of the week thereby keeping me from home longer than expected. A lot of it has to do with not getting my laptop from work by Tuesday which meant my work-at-home day was pushed until Friday and so I had to work four days in a row. It was tough. I feel like more should be attributed to missing Rhett, which I did tremendously. But if I'm honest, I have to admit that working is far easier than being home. Yes, I would choose being home, even with the hardness of it. I love that little boy more than I ever thought I could. But being home is hard work, and work isn't.

Made by e: Fabric Box

I'm not opposed to stuff gathering on my counters. I am, however, opposed to that stuff being disorganized. Enter the fabric box (as inspired by this). I am really pleased with how it turned out. And I love the detail added by the grommets and ribbon, which are repeated on the other side. Too cute.


(And yes, Angie, that's e-bean's announcement in that box. It's simply adorable.)

Since Some Have Asked...

...I am okay. I was not affected by yesterday's Metro crash that so far has killed nine people and injured 70.

A couple of things worked in my favor. First, the train wasn't heading the direction I travel when I head home. It was on the opposite track heading in-bound. Second, as yesterday marked the return to full-time work for me, it also marked the return of eight-hour days (instead of the tens that I do when part-time). Given that I get to work at 6:30 a.m., I left the office at 3 p.m. yesterday. However, if I had been doing a ten-hour day yesterday, I would have likely been stopped at a station just north of work and had to wait who-knows-how-long because the crash happened just as I normally leave for work on those longer days.

For this morning, the trains aren't even running at the few stops surrounding the crash. I would have had to get on the train, be unloaded and take a shuttle to a stop down the line, get back on the train, and ride to work. Metro said to add an hour to commute times to account for this. However, I was able to take the other side of the Red Line to work this morning, at a cost of only 20 minutes. Sure that means 40 minutes added to my work day, but all things considered, I'm lucky.


Incredibly lucky.

(The Washington Post has tons of coverage if you want more.)

I'm Addicted

Clearly I can't stop making these darn things. They are really easy, take little time, and are so completely satisfying that I need to start practicing self control and not make anymore. I mean, what am I going to do with 16 pendants, except just admire them?

I left the picture very large so you can enlarge and look more closely at them if you want. Three are cut from a map of Yellowstone. Awesome, huh?! I just love these things. If you do too, be sure to check out this tutorial (or just make me an offer--I accept PayPal). I wouldn't make any changes to the tutorial as it's perfect. And yes, I still need to attach the jewelry pieces to make them actual jewelry instead of fancy Scrabble tiles. As soon as I have thy money to do so, you better believe I will. Dang budgeting!

A Treatise on Young Women, Ziploc, and Bounty

Do you remember when you were a kid and you told your parents that "NO WAY" were you going to be the kind of parents they were? You know, because they were sooooo mean when they didn't let you get your ears triple pierced. Stupid parents. But now that some of us are parents, we see that we're totally doing those things because, well, they made sense. Those things make me laugh.

Then there are things that you never really noticed your parents did until you moved in with someone else and they did them differently. For example, there were three things of infinite worth in our household: young women, Ziploc bags, and paper towels. The baggies and towels were not to be used in any haphazard manner (neither were the young women, for that matter). Oh no, we used Ziploc bags and then reused them (especially if they were Ziploc brand--oooh, we knew we were living the high life when we had brand-name Ziploc baggies!). It was quite a frequent occurrence to see them drying on the side of the sink after a good washing. And paper towels? You better spill an entire gallon of milk before daring to use even one paper towel. Even then, maybe you could get by with using only half a towel.

As another example, my mom never put pots and pans in the dishwasher. We always had to wash those by hand. Consequently, neither a pot nor a pan has ever seen the insides of my dishwasher. Until tonight. On Tuesday I made these mini muffins. The dirty muffin tin sat in the sink for nearly 48 hours because I hate cleaning muffin tins. Hate. Apparently the hate I feel for this task is greater than the love I feel for a clean kitchen. That's saying a lot. But I finally broke down after dinner tonight and realized that it was time to clean it (after realizing that Chuck wasn't going to be nice and do it for me). While I begrudgingly cleaned the darn thing, I asked Chuck if they make mini muffin liners because I'd totally buy those. He remarks, "Why don't you just put it in the dishwasher?" WHAT? You can do that? A muffin tin in the dishwasher? I never! But I did. And it feels so good. Sorry Mom.

You Know You're a Wuss When...

Trying to open a bottle of Mod Podge gives you a blister. Seriously.

(Although, it was totally worth it. I was making these and so far they look great.)

Inspire Me, Please

I've had these fabrics for far too long, but I can't decide what to do with them. Usually I am instantly inspired by fabrics and know immediately what to make, not so with these three. So please tell me what to do with them. It can be for the kid, for me, for the house, anything. Just help! My sewing machine is crying neglect and may soon report me to DCFS. (The elephants and bright flowers are both flannel and the other, fleece.)

Summer Plans

Having a husband who works in the school system means I still ask (and get asked) the question, "Any fun summer plans?" While I wouldn't necessarily call our summer plans "fun" (except for the trip to visit emily!), they certainly are interesting.

For the past four summers, Chuck has worked at a summer camp, and he has four t-shirts to prove it. For those of you from Utah, summer camps are HUGE out here. These are all-day, all-summer events that cost a lot of money (which is why none of our kids will ever attend one). But he hasn't really loved the job. The kids are too young for his taste (he's a high school teacher for a reason) and he certainly would have chosen to stay home all four of those summers, had I let him.

When we looked at this summer, we saw two choices. Choice One: I keep my two-day-a-week schedule and Chuck goes back to camp. Choice Two: I do full-time work and Chuck stays at home. Financially, it's a wash. Without paying a babysitter or Chuck's tithing and doubling my income, it's the same. So we thought, let's give Choice One a go! I'll work full-time, doing one day a week at home. (Five days on the Metro?! Way too much for me.) Chuck will stay at home with Rhett, becoming my very own Mr. Mom.

My feelings about this are all over the map. I'm excited that Chuck will become much more acquainted with the chore chart than he's ever been. I'm excited that Chuck will learn how un-fun it is to grocery shop with a one-year-old. I'm excited that he'll learn that our baby is the cutest baby on the planet, nay, in the universe (which, of course, he already knows but what better testimony builder, right?). However, I dread leaving my little man four days a week. I dread riding on the Metro eight times a week. I dread trying to fit in my running.

But if it's successful, I have high hopes for repeating this each summer. I imagine the summers being times when the kids are excited to spend time with Dad. I imagine summers where I get to stay inside a cool air-conditioned building (Chuck deals with humidity far better than I) and come home to hot meals and a happy family.

If it's not successful, well, it's only nine weeks. And one of those weeks I'll be spending a couple of days at girls camp (maybe that's what I should truly be dreading!). Another one of those weeks we'll be spending in Colorado with my beloved sister. It's only 30 total days. I can do this, right?! RIGHT?!

Yes, I think this summer will be incredibly hard for both of us. I also think it will be a great experience for both of my boys. But I'm 99% sure that come August 24th, we'll both be ready for a return to our regularly-scheduled lives.

Insta-Poll

Quick.  This is another "come-up-with-your-answer-before-you-look-at-other-people's-comments" kinda thing.

Question: Let's say that you took a two-hour drive to attend the temple.  Another ward (three leaders and three YW) offered to babysit twelve babies (under 18-months-old) in order to raise money for camp while you did a session.  How much do you pay them for your one child for 3.5 hours?

Made by e

First is a set of gifts for a new little one.  Chuck designed the monster doll; I just sewed it.  The onesies are a little cryptic on purpose, but I'll let you in on the secret.  "EH" are the new baby's initials (and darn fine initials if I say so myself).  And the other is the sign of the zodiac, taurus, that this new baby is.  Hey, the baby's mama is into that stuff, aren't you Angie?!  I gotta say, I love doing appliques with fabric instead of the iron-ons.  The iron-ons didn't last more than two washings.  Bah.

Second is a new tablecloth.  Chuck scored 18 bandanas after last weekend's youth conference and I knew I had to find something fun to do with them.  I think the tablecloth will be perfect when we have friends over; it's casual and bright and happy, even if a little like Tibetan prayer flags.

And just in case you forgot, I made this dude too.  He's my favorite.

And oh my goodness, I made these and they are the Best. Chocolate. Chip. Cookie. Ever.  Seriously.

I HATE This Bumper Sticker

Seriously, I'm going to have to change my running route if this car continues to park where I have to read this sticker.  (Click on the picture to enlarge, if you must.)

I Feel Like I'm Taking Crazy Pills

As Chuck and I get closer to thinking about having a second baby, I can't help but think having two kids will be easier than having just one.  But this thought makes me feel like I'm insane.  Why would two kids be easier than one?  It just seems like everything that was hard about having one baby would be not applicable with two babies.

First.  With your first baby you have no idea what to expect.  Now I do.  Do I think that baby #2 will be exactly like Rhett?  No, I'm a statistician; of course I expect variation.  But just knowing what I'm getting myself into will be helpful.

Second.  Rhett made me feel like a complete idiot.  I had no idea what I was doing most of the time.  Not that having one child made me a parenting expert, but I have a better feel for how to keep little babies alive (which is all that they really need for about the first six months).

Third.  Another very hard thing for me was the identity crisis in which I found myself.  Who was this new person that having a baby created?  It seemed like everything that defined me had changed with Rhett's birth and I didn't know what that meant.  I had to get to know erin-the-mom, not just erin-the-wife (that change was another huge adjustment, too).  But now that I know who I am as a mom (and still wife, and still lots of other cool things too), I can't see this coming on as strongly as it did before.

Fourth.  The boredom.  Oooh, the incessant boredom.  With an eight-month-old, I was so bored, I felt real anxiety for the days home alone with the baby.  I wondered what in the world would I do with him?  He can't walk, talk, and playing with his toys (while possibly entertaining to him) for six hours made me want to cry.  And in fact, probably did make me cry on many, many occasions.  Yes, yes, I could take him to the library, but to what end?  Yes, yes, I live near D.C. and have a plethora of museums near me, but again, what's the point?  The little guy has barely figured out his hands belong to him and you want me to take him to the Air and Space Museum?  But with two children, this point is deleted.  I can go to the Air and Space Museum for Rhett, not the baby.  The baby will go and do whatever Rhett and I do.  Rhett and I will love it and it won't feel like such a waste of time.

Okay, now tell me that in fact, I am taking crazy pills.  Tell me that having two kids is much harder than having one.  I can take it.

P.S. Someone please tell me that you get the movie reference in this title. I feel like Monday's reference (not in the title, but in the text of the letter) was a little too obscure.

Dear Maryland:

Just when I thought you couldn't get any heinous-er, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself.

Love,
erin

(Last week our weather was horrible. Hot and muggy and then more muggy. But for some reason, today is in the 60s, sunny, and not a drop of water in the air. Total redemption, in my opinion.)

More Parenting Advice Needed

As parents we constantly hear information about what foods we should and should not feed our kids.  There are the noes: honey, nuts, eggs, gluten, fish, etc.  And then there are the yesses: pretty much everything not on the no list.  It's a lot of information to ingest.

Now that Rhett is over a year old, I feel that we have much more latitude in his food.  But the nut thing kills me.  I want to feed him banana NUT bread, banana NUT waffles, carrot cake with NUTS on top, peaNUT butter, baked oatmeal with walNUTS, etc.  (Why?  Mostly because I want to share these things with my son and it kills me to make them without the nuts.)  My pediatrician has told me to wait until he's five to give him nuts.  That's right: five.

But the aversion to feeding our kids nuts at a young age, as well as the large number of kids with allergies to nuts has me thinking.  Are we causing this increase in food allergies by withholding the foods from the kids?  If Chuck and I have no family history of food allergies (which is true), would it be safe to give the baby nuts now, because by waiting to expose him, we've made him a sissy to nuts, in a weird way?

Part of me really wants to just do it.  We already know he's not crazy allergic to the point where just being a room with nut products makes him break out in hives.  But part of me has the mommy guilt that I shall not expose my child to things that might hurt him.

So how long did you wait to give your children nuts (or any other taboo item)?  Do you believe that withholding foods can cause the allergies?  (Note: This is definitely an unscientifically-supported hypothesis developed by yours truly.)  Do you take much of the food advice to heart and keep schedules and time lines as given to you by your pediatrician?

It's a Major Award!

I ran a four-mile race this morning.  While the important thing is not that I ran it in 35:36 (a minute slower than my time from two years ago but still okay given I haven't been running much due to the three-week sinus infection), nor that I ran it in 72 degree weather (with 88% humidity--no lie, I just checked), but that I won something.

No, I didn't win the entire race, or even my age group (something I don't plan on happening until I'm a golden-ager). BUT this race had a special something to it: along the route little American flags were placed in the ground. We were told to count said flags and the person with the closest count would win! Thanks to Price-is-Right rules, I won with a count of 50 (there were actually 51 and second place guessed 52).

I mean, hello?! I'm a counter. I count everything. How could I not win this?  I had my choice between an apple lattice pie, a blueberry lemon coffee cake, or a plant of Gerber daisies.  I know, I know.  You're thinking, "uh, erin?  You turned down Gerber daisies?"  And I respond, "uh, did you not see the 4.5-pounder beauty I did choose?"  Either way, there'll be no remnants of my prize in about a week.  But I'll have much more fun destroying the pie. 

What Does It All Mean?

Chuck and I watched this series premiere Wednesday night.  If you missed it, you must watch it.  It's really adorable and I am already excited for fall so I can see the rest.  But it got me scared...if I liked it as much as I did, does this mean that I might actually enjoy "High School Musical?"  Chuck has tried to reassure me that no, it doesn't, but still.  A part of me is really frightened.

He Was THIS Close

Last Saturday we went to Olney Days. While most of it would be appropriate for slightly older kids, it fulfilled what we wanted: get us out of the house. We did get to ride an old-fashioned fire truck, but Rhett was near tears the entire time. He continued to need to be held every time the truck circled near us, which was once every four minutes.


The best part of the night is when Chuck entered his first eating contest. It was two scoops of ziti pasta with marinara sauce. While he didn't win, he was only two tubes behind the winner. Needless to say, he was quite disappointed. I, on the other hand, was just grossed out.

UPDATE! My (ridiculously high) tax dollars went to work Wednesday morning. As Rhett and I were finishing our morning run, I noticed a work truck in front of the house across the street. Sure enough, the county was going to cut that lawn if no one else was! Hooray! When I asked about the house next door, they said there was paperwork holding it up. Oh well, one mown lawn, two more to go!

DOUBLE UPDATE!  On today's run I saw that the neighbor on the corner cut his/her lawn too!  Woo hoo!  Only one more forest to hew!

Habitat for Hubanity: New Kitchen

Well, here it is.  The whole process took two days.  Not that bad, but bad enough where I know I could never do a project that leaves me kitchen-less for much longer.  But we love it.  I love how bright and cheery it is.  It makes me happy to be in there.  And now that I've finally kicked this three-week illness, maybe I'll actually feel like cooking.  Lemon bars, anyone?  (You get three before pictures and four after.  Unfortunately I didn't have a before of the bathroom vanity, but believe me, it's an upgrade.)

Comparatively Speaking

I had to laugh at my friend Daniel.  I posted some pictures on Facebook and on this particular one, he commented, "I think that it's time for your neighbors to cut their grass!"

Oooh, Daniel, if you only knew. Let me show you the yards next door and across the street.

Can you now understand why we're grateful for the first neighbor's mow job?

Because I'm a Proud Mama, That's Why

It's my blog and if I want to post a lot of pictures of my beautiful, perfect child, then that's exactly what I'm going to do. And you're gonna like it!

The Patchwork Dress

In college I had this baby-doll dress that I loved. It was made from patchwork squares and made me feel slightly hippie-ish. I wore it often. Too often apparently. Years later I found out that some of my friends hated that dress. They were so excited when it was gone and could finally tell me. It hurt my feelings a little bit, but I got over it. However, I'm not sure that I would have continued to wear it had I known how much it was hated.

Jump ahead ten years and I have this hat. I love this hat. I love the fun floral, the way it fits, almost everything about it. But no one else loves this hat. It's the patchwork dress all over again. Thankfully, I'm a little more self-assured and feel comfortable wearing it, even if everyone around me is wondering when I'm going to take off that dumb hat.


Do you have a "patchwork" dress, past or present? Are you brave enough to share it with everyone?

Return to Home Organization Tips

Anyone remember when I gave some household tips on the old blog? I'm currently testing a pantry inventory list, but until then you'll have to make do with this: how to handle a husband who finds it impossible to put away pajamas every morning.

I finally gave up trying to persuade him to put his pajamas in his dresser. I could see it wasn't happening. We then came up with this gem: just put them in bed and I'll make the bed on top of the clothes. The pajamas must be laid fairly flat, but otherwise, no one can tell that there's a deflated, pajama-clad man in there!

When Chuck is ready for bed at night he knows exactly where to find his clothes. It's a win-win for sure.


(Obviously this works if you have a wife who refuses to put away pajamas, or maybe you hate doing it yourself.  It's fairly adaptable to every household situation.)

Just a Peek

We finished the painting last night but I can't let you see the rest until the cabinets are done.  This wall, however, is sans cabinets so it can be revealed.  (Notice Bruno's awesome tongue? And anyone catch Rhett leaving the playroom?)

We're really pleased.  Yes, it's bright and bold, but we like it that way.  We also like the white contrast, which is great because the cabinets will be that color.